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Glite Dictionary
to wait until the dust settles

to wait until the dust settles

6.0
To delay action or decisions until things become clearer
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : esperar a que se calmen las aguas
  • She decided to wait until the dust settles before making any big changes to her business strategy.

Examples

  • I'm mostly happy to stay out of the controversy and wait until the dust settles, but I will likely use whatever name the ESA settles on.

    Blog text (28)

  • Emotions are still high from yesterday's race, and I think we should wait until the dust settles and see how Perry handles himself going forward.

    Blog text (25)

  • He said Wednesday he plans to "wait until the dust settles" from Tuesday's election on Measure F and possibly present a new hotel proposal for the Holman Block.

    Blog text (3)

  • He waited until the dust settled before he ducked down the road to his place, tilting his head at the angle required to watch his step on the gravel.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • After the argument, I think we should wait until the dust settles to discuss it again.

  • It's wise to wait until the dust settles before you start investing in the stock market.

Synonyms

to sit on
vsto wait until the dust settles
34 4.2

Delay making a decision about something while thinking about it

postpones action until the situation becomes clearer
to sleep on it
vsto wait until the dust settles
26 3.7

To delay making a decision until the next day to think about it

postpones action until things become clearer rather than just overnight
to gather one's thoughts
vsto wait until the dust settles
6 4.4

Pause and think clearly before you speak or decide

delays acting until external confusion eases rather than just organizing ideas
to let it ride
vsto wait until the dust settles
7.0

Allow a situation to continue without changing it

delays action until things become clearer
to sit on a decision
vsto wait until the dust settles
4.2

Delay making a decision by waiting instead of choosing

keeps action on hold until confusion about the situation eases
to sleep on the idea
vsto wait until the dust settles
4.8

Delay making a decision until after you think about it overnight

seeks clarity over time rather than only overnight
to bide one's time
vsto wait until the dust settles
  • Informal
7.5

Wait for a good chance before acting

postpones action until things become clearer rather than for opportunity

How Quickly

to act
∞ 1.0
to wait until the dust settles
  • Informal
6.0
to hold off
78 3.8

Surface Forms

wait until the dust settles infinitive
waited until the dust settles past
waited until the dust settles past participle
waiting until the dust settles present participle
waits until the dust settles third person singular

Morphology

wait + until + the + dust + settle

The phrase literally combines 'wait until' with the image of 'dust' that 'settles' (comes to rest), so a learner who knows the constituent words can plausibly infer the metaphorical meaning of waiting for things to calm or become clearer. Because this relies on a conventional metaphorical extension rather than fully literal composition, it is understandable but not entirely predictable without some exposure.

Etymology

Wait until the dust settles comes from the image of dust thrown into the air after a fight or big change. The dust must fall or settle so you can see clearly, so the phrase means to wait until things are 'clearer' and less confused before acting.